Virtual Worlds are shared and persistent computer-generated environments. They are shared because a virtual world can be accessed and used by multiple users at the same time. They are persistent because the virtual world continues to exist even when a user has left it. That is, other users can continue to participate in it. Virtual worlds can only be viewed through the utilization of electronic devices such as computers, and other display devices, such as PDA's, cell phones, etc. that communicate over a communication network, such as the Internet, with the virtual world. Virtual worlds are typically three-dimensional and immersive, though they can also be text-based only. A user typically enters a virtual world as a virtual representation. In the case of three-dimensional graphical virtual worlds, this virtual representation is often an avatar. Avatars are typically human-like beings or animals that users can select or create through user-interface controls. Users control the movement of avatars in the virtual world using a variety of interaction modalities such as keyboard or mouse interaction.
For example, Second Life is a virtual world created by Linden Lab. It is a social networking virtual world in the sense that users enter it, create a virtual representation in the form of an avatar, travel to various virtual locations, and converse with other users who are also in the virtual world. Conversing is done via textual or voice chat. The purpose of this particular virtual world is to socialize with other users. World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game created by Blizzard, Inc., which contains a virtual world. Users construct virtual representations in World of Warcraft in the form of avatars and enter the virtual world of World of Warcraft. Here users attempt to accomplish missions particular to the game. This may involve interacting with other users by talking to them or even waging battle.
In conventional virtual worlds, the same user-interface is presented to all users in the same manner, regardless of the particular needs of the user within the virtual world. Thus, it can be inefficient for users to find, access, and use the user-interface tools that are meaningful to them. For example, some virtual worlds present users with user-interface components that allow them to capture or share data about their virtual world experience. Not all users may require these tools and some may require different tools than others to undertake this task. Some virtual worlds also present users with user-interface components that allow them to create a preferred virtual representation, or “avatar”, of oneself in the virtual world. Again, not all users require the same tools to create a desired virtual representation, yet the same tools are presented to all users. Some virtual worlds allow users to customize the user-interface controls that are presented to them or the manner in which they are presented, yet the act of customizing one's user-interface is often inefficient and sometimes complicated to perform. Thus, the user-interfaces of virtual worlds are not as customized as they could be and current customization processes are not desirable. Accordingly, a need in the art exists for an improved solution to generating user-interfaces to virtual worlds.